Living with an Ember
by Ta-Ni Kitsune
Summary: A story of the life of a Ninetales hybrid, living in the real world, and how he copes with the elemental force within. Pokemon owns all rights to their product; only my OC is mine.
1. Prologue

**Hey, everybody! Ta-Ni here! I want to start off this year with something fresh, so why not start with my own life story? Here you go!**

Sitting before my computer, wrapped up in a warm blanket to fend off the cold, I glance at the calendar on my wall. _Tomorrow's the 7th of February, isn't it?_ I think to myself. _I will be turning ten years old on that day. And, what a birthday it will be._ My eyes turned misty as I recalled all the events that had unfolded since that fateful day. _And to think I've barely lived my full lifespan; I still have another 990 years left! What is there left to experience?_

I looked at the cream-colored tails peeking out from under the blanket, some tipped in orange, but one in gray. My ears twitched at the sound of the snow on the window. Looking back to the screen, I realize that now would be a good time to look back and reflect on my life. Maybe someday I'll read this entry in the future, and remember a much simpler time. Back before I learned of my destiny and became what I am today: a half-Ninetales.

**There you have it: the prologue for my new story:**

**Living with an Ember: The Private Journal of a half-Ninetales**

**I'll be uploading each part every week, so please read and review!**

**And as always, May your Ember never fade.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Hey, everybody! Ta-Ni here. As promised, here is the first chapter of my backstory.**

It all started about a few months before that fateful day. I had just finished reading _The Honeymoon's Over_, and I began thinking to myself that it would be cool if I ever found a Destiny Stone of my own. I knew it could never happen; my world was probably light years away from the Pokémon world, even if it had existed. Still, the idea tickled the back of my mind for the next few days. Then, one day, I was checking my email, and one of the junk mails mentioned Pokémon accessories. Intrigued, I followed the link, and found a set of necklaces styled after the three primary evolution stones: fire, water, and lightning.

Seeing them reminded me of how the Destiny Stones were described, and I decided to buy one of them. I chose the fire stone, since after dark type, fire was my favorite. About a week later, the necklace came in the mail, just before Christmas. To my surprise, the stone looked really lifelike; on the photo, it looked like they were made of plastic. Holding it in my hand, I unknowingly sealed my fate; this little stone would forever change my life.

At first, nothing unusual happened. I wore it a few times, showing it off to my friends and coworkers. At night, I would put it aside. Then, one night, just as midnight on the day before the full moon struck, I was awoken by a soft glow behind my eyelids. I opened my eyes to notice that the glow seemed to come from atop my dresser, and it emanated from the stone! I tried to ignore it and go back to sleep, but when I woke in the morning, it was still glowing. It continued to glow until midnight on the day after the full moon, when it suddenly stopped.

A little creeped out by this odd reaction to the full moon, I wondered what was happening. Then, a few days later, while I was wearing the stone at work, I splashed my hand with water. This was normal, since I worked as a dishwasher, but this time was different; when the water came in contact with my skin, a sharp pain raced up my arm. I quickly stifled a shout, so as not to alarm my coworkers. Then, a voice echoed in my head.

_Accept your other self_, it said. I looked around; trying to pinpoint the source of the voice, but the room was empty. Then, I noticed a faint glow coming from the stone around my neck, and the voice spoke again. _Those who deny their other self will suffer._ To my shock, the voice appeared to be coming from my stone! Again checking around for others, I quietly asked it, "Who are you?"

_I am a spirit who resides in this stone, to guide you through the upcoming trials. However, you choose not to see your destiny, and it will cause you much pain in the future._ "Are you the one who hurt my hand?" I asked. _No, that was merely an aspect of your other self, trying to come out. You must accept it, or things will get worse._

"What do you mean my other self?" I was completely bewildered by what was going on. _Have you not figured it out yet,_ the voice asked. _You have been chosen to bear a rare artifact. The very stone I reside in is a Destiny Stone, and it has bonded with you. Once you accept your power, you can wield it at will. First, however, you must live in your other form for at least a moon, learning the nuances of your new life._

I was about to retort when I spotted one of my coworkers out of the corner of my eye. I whispered, "Can we discuss this later, when we're alone?" The voice didn't respond, but the stone stopped glowing, so I figured that would be fine with it. I finished up work, and headed home. Once inside my apartment, I closed the blinds and said, "Okay, what were we talking about?"

The stone began glowing again, and the voice said, _you must assume your other form and live as a Pokémon for a minimum of one moon before you can utilize the stone's power. If you delay, your other self will keeping trying to come out, resulting in effects similar to what happened just now._

"But, Pokémon don't exist in this world, at least not in real life! If I become a Pokémon, people will stare, and scientists will lock me up and perform experiments on me. I can't just give up on my life and live as an animal for a month!" I tried not to yell, but this whole idea seemed impossible. _Nonetheless, you have been chosen, and there's no other way to change destiny. Once you have accepted your other self, you can resume your normal life again._ The voice seemed completely unfazed by my anger.

I wracked my brain for any way out of this situation, but every time I would think of something else, the voice would interrupt me. Finally, I gave up. "Well, I can't exactly be a Pokémon in the city, so I'll have to find some place to live. What kind of Pokémon am I going to be, so I know what I'm getting into?" _I cannot tell you that; all I can say is you will be a fire-type, hence the adverse effect of water. The rest will remain a surprise until you assume your other form._

"There's a big forest a few miles from my apartment building, and people rarely go in; I think that will be safe enough to live in. Okay, I'll have to let everyone know I'll be gone for a month or two, though I tend to check in with home every week. Can I change back for one day every week so no one will be suspicious?" The voice was silent for a moment before agreeing, so I packed a few essentials and told my boss I needed to take time off because of a sick family member. I hated lying to her, but I couldn't really tell her the truth either.

After walking deep into the forest, far from civilization, I let the spirit know I was ready. The stone began glowing brightly, like it had during the full moon, and soon my body was glowing too. Then, pain rippled through my body as my bones began shrinking and changing. My fingers and toes shortened as my hands and feet turned into paws. My nose and mouth bulged outward into a muzzle, and my ears migrated to the top of my head and grew pointed. My skin burned as long, golden fur covered my entire body, even my clothes. Lastly, a set of long, orange-tipped tails, nine in number, erupted from my rear end, growing longer than my new body.

The entire change only took a few minutes, leaving me panting in pain. "_Why did it hurt some much?_" I asked, and then caught myself. My voice had changed as well; even though I understood it as English, I was speaking in Pokémon. _The first change is always the most painful, since your body hasn't learned to cope with your new form,_ the voice responded, in the same language. _Now, we have much to learn if you are going to survive as a Ninetales, so I suggest we get started._

The next few days flew by as I learned how to move and live in my new body. As we agreed, at the end of the week, the spirit allowed me to change back so I could call home and let others know I was still alive. Changing back was as painful as before, but only in reverse. Thankfully, I remained fully clothed. I kept my comings and goings as secret as possible, even changing my route to and from the forest each time. Also, every time I changed, it took less time and didn't hurt as much.

However, about four weeks into this pattern, my precautions failed me. One of my friends, Nicole, actually followed me into the forest and saw me transform. I told her telepathically that she had to keep it a secret from everyone else, and she agreed, but only if she could join me. I reluctantly agreed, not knowing what fate would have in store for both of us. About a week later, we were walking through the forest when a snake snuck up on us and bit Nicole in the ankle.

To our horror, Nicole was soon shivering in pain as the poison raced through her body; turned out she was highly allergic to venom. I knew there wasn't enough time to get a doctor here fast enough, and I feared I would be forced to watch my friend die. Then, the spirit spoke up. _There is a way to save her, but she will be forced to stay here forever. As you may know, the Ninetales has a very special power unique to their kind; they can cast a thousand-year curse upon any who touch or harm their tails. It can also be used to heal others. However, when applied to a human, they are forced to take the form of a Pokémon._

"_It doesn't matter, if it can save her, I'll do it!_" I exclaimed. The spirit mentally nodded, then explained how to cast the curse. Tapping into my reserves of foxfire (a unique form of psychic energy that only Ninetales possess), and drawing on my desire to save her, I cast the fire upon her body. Through the flames, I watched as her body shifted and changed before my eyes, and when they finally faded, a pure-white Espeon lay where a human girl was before. My own vision darkened as I hovered on the edge of consciousness; since she hadn't actually pulled one of my tails, I couldn't draw off the usual anger a Ninetales felt, and so used more energy than normal.

When she awoke, I explained what had happened. She didn't mind being a Pokémon, and in fact enjoyed her new form. I taught her how to survive, since I knew my time was running out. Finally, on February 7th, the spirit declared me ready to receive control of my other form. I was allowed to change at will, and even change partway. Even better, I could return to my daily life. However, I promised Nicole I would return to the forest every now and then, and we could run around as Pokémon; she couldn't leave since she had no way of changing back.

However, even though I was human once again, I still possessed artifacts of my new life as a Ninetales. I found my hearing and sense of smell had sharpened slightly, and I could feel a tiny flame burning deep within my body. I now had my own Ember, the life force of every fire-type. Of course, it's quite small while I'm human, but it does slightly raise my normal body temperature, making me more vulnerable to the cold and rain.

**There you have it: how I started out. Now, while the Stone is based off of the Destiny Stone from ****_Honeymoon's Over_****, and will referred to as such, it actually isn't, which will become apparent in later chapters. By the way, all credit for the idea goes to Antithesis, the author of ****_Honeymoon's Over_****.**

**Read and Review, guys! And may your Ember never fade.**


	3. Chapter 2

**Hey, everybody! Ta-Ni here. Here's the next chapter in my life, a quite monumental one in fact.**

Over the next year or so, I experimented with my new form, as well as stopping in between human and Ninetales, which I call my hybrid form. For some odd reason, no one can see me as other than human while I was changing, only while fully human or Pokémon; I couldn't even see me change in the mirror. With some sort of 'auto-illusion' covering me whenever I changed, I couldn't prove to anyone I really was part Ninetales; I'm not too inclined to become a Pokémon in public. However, why didn't it occur while I was learning how to be a Ninetales? I asked Nicole, and she said before she became a Pokémon, she didn't actually see me change; only when I was fully a Pokémon would she see my true form. However, she had no problem seeing me change AFTER she became a Pokémon, which she thinks is because I'm more than comfortable when she's the only one around.

Then, as a spring breeze blew through, I messed up. You see, in addition to gaining a Ninetales body, I also have their instincts. Most of the time, the spirit in my stone suppresses those instincts, allowing me to think rationally as a human being, while still a Pokémon. However, there are times when those impulses get too strong, and I lose myself for a while. Usually, it's only for a few minutes, but this spring, they got the better of me.

One of the biggest changes that come with spring is mating season. The last time it came around, both Nicole and I were still getting used to our new bodies, so we were too distracted. However, this year would be different. It started out as an innocent encounter, until our hormones flared. All rational thought flew out of my mind; in fact, I have absolutely no recollection of what happened exactly. All I know is about a week later, I 'woke up' in a large den nestled among the roots of a tree, Nicole next to me, and a half-eaten rabbit near the entrance. Given how intimate we were, I immediately concluded we had to have mated. Nicole concurred: she was pregnant with kits, and they were mine.

Over the next few months, I had to make more frequent trips to the forest, as Nicole couldn't move much once the kits began to grow. Even worse, I had to keep it a secret from everybody, which made work very difficult. In the end, as their due date drew near, I had to ask for another 'vacation' in order to devote all my attention to raising the kits once they were born. Thankfully, my boss was very accommodating about all this.

Finally, as the April sun was peeking over the horizon, I noticed Nicole beginning to go into labor. It was a long and painful process, but after about an hour of pushing, five newborn kits lay beside her, shivering against her white fur. Four of them were Eevee-sized, while one looked like a miniature Vulpix, only with one tail. They were all furless at first, but after about a day, it grew in, and we were surprised by the results. One of the Eevee kits had silver fur instead of brown, denoting it as a shiny Eevee, and another had a slight reddish tint to his brown fur. Also, the Vulpix had snow-white fur from nose to tail.

I looked at the newborns in awe and pride. I never knew what being a father would be like, in either of my forms. Surprising it would happen as a Pokémon long before I would as a human. Still, I wasn't completely clueless; I had followed Ash's experience in _The Honeymoon's Over_. I just hoped things wouldn't turn out like he had it. Just in case, I made a vow upon my nine tails that I would do anything within my power to protect them from danger. Also, I realized that as a side effect of our mating, I was actually falling in love with Nicole!

**There you have it! I'm now a father! Can I raise a family of Pokemon in a world of humans? Find out next time! Read and Review, and may your Ember never fade!**


	4. Chapter 3

**Hey, everyone! Ta-Ni here. Time for another chapter of my life to be posted to the world... Why am I doing this again? Anyway, now you get to see what happens to the kits! Enjoy!**

I stayed with Nicole and helped raising the kits as much as I could, using what I had learned while adapting to my Pokémon body as a reference. The spirit within my Stone also helped, supplying me with information I didn't have before, like moves I had chosen not to learn as a Ninetales (Yes, I can use moves; I currently know Quick Attack, Faint Attack, Fire Blast, Rest, Swift, Energy Ball, Dig, Iron Tail, and Tail Curse. However, they only work when I have the corresponding body part, like I cannot use Fire Blast or Energy Ball without my Ninetales muzzle. I also limit myself to four moves in a battle, like normal fights).

They actually grew up quite fast; they were full size in only a few months. The two girl Eevees we named Eve and Clare, with Clare being the shiny one. The two male Eevees and male Vulpix were named Teddy, Axel and Zona, respectively; Axel was the Eevee with reddish fur. By the way, as Zona grew up, his fur turned to its normal red tone, and he grew another five tails.

Unfortunately, I couldn't stay with them forever; I had to keep up appearances at work and with my human family. I explained why I was leaving for days at a time, and they seemed to understand. Then, just as their birthday was coming, I was wandering the woods when I came across a woven basket lying in the underbrush. On top was a hand-written note, which said, "Ta-Ni, I thought you would like this for your kits. Sincerely, a friend. P.S. The Sun Shard and Moon Shard are for Espeon and Umbreon, since evolution by affection cannot work in this world." (Ta-Ni is my Pokémon name; I claimed it once I could control my Pokémon form, as a combination of my human name and my new species). Inside, I found a complete set of evolutionary stones, as well as the aforementioned Sun and Moon Shards, something that could never exist in this world!

I looked around, hoping to catch a glimpse of whoever or whatever gave me the stones. I thought I caught a glimpse of a pink flash by out of the corner of my eye, but I couldn't be sure. Either way, I picked up the basket and carried back to the den. Everyone was intrigued by the stones, but I warned the kits away; evolution is a permanent thing, and should be approached with caution and planning. I showed them what each form looks like, using illusion, and explained what element they are. Then, a few days later, I laid out each one and had all the Eevees choose first, since Zona can only evolve with a fire stone.

First was Clare. She wandered up and down the line before stopping before the Sun Shard and becoming a shiny Espeon. Next, Teddy chose the water stone to become a Vaporeon. Eve used the Mossy Rock to become a Leafeon, while Axel used the fire stone to become a Flareon. Unfortunately, since Axel used the only fire stone, we could not evolve Zona into a Ninetales yet. Zona didn't mind much; he told me he wasn't ready to evolve yet, anyway.

A couple of months later, the idea occur to me that the Destiny Stone was based off of a fire stone, so couldn't it be used as an evolutionary stone? By this time, Zona felt ready, so we decided to try. Turns out it would work, but not in the way we expected. Somehow, Zona evolved into a shiny Ninetales, even though he wasn't shiny to start. Either way, since they had grown up and evolved, they left the den and claimed areas around the forest. I would visit them every now and then, just to see how they were coping with life in my world.

**There you have it. BTW, Vulpixes usually grow up slower than Eevees, because of their longer lifespan, but since Zona was born to a Eeveelution, his development was paced like an Eevee's. Also, I know normal Destiny Stones don't work as evolutionary stones, but this was a different kind of stone, so whatever. Read and review, please. And may your Ember never fade!**


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey, everyone! Ta-Ni here. It's the return of Living with an Ember. Today, we see what happens when Pokemon meet humans...**

I hoped that because this forest was rarely visited, we could all live here in peace. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Shortly after the kits left to claim their own territory, I came back after a week of work to find the den empty. At first, I wasn't too worried; I knew Nicole liked to wander the forest and would be back by nightfall. However, when she hadn't returned the next morning, I grew concerned.

As the sun continued to climb, I really began to worry, so I telepathically spoke to Clare and asked her to gather everybody at the den. Once they all arrived, I asked if any of them had seen Nicole recently. One by one, they shook their heads, but Eve spoke up. "_Mom visited my den a couple of days ago, but that's the last I saw her. She was headed deeper into the woods._" It peaked my interest; why would she be heading there?

As a group, we headed in that direction and to our surprise; we found a shack amid the trees. I told them to stay out of sight while I scouted around the building. On the walls I could see what looked like bear traps and rope snares, so I figured whoever lived here was a trapper. Then, to my horror, I saw a familiar white fox in a metal cage on the far side of the shack. It was Nicole!

I glanced at the chimney to note that no smoke was rising, so the owner was away. I sneaked up to the cage and quietly said, "_Honey, are you all right?_" She seemed to wake up to my voice, but the look in her eyes was a little different than before. "_Darling, what are you doing here?_" she asked. "_I'm here to get you out of here. How long have you been here?_"

"_I think a few days. I got my paw caught in a rope snare, and the man found me a few hours later. These steel bars limit my psychic powers, so I couldn't escape._" She hung her head in shame, but I gave a little comforting whimper. "_Don't worry. I'll get you out._" I gathered fire in my throat and aimed it at the metal bars. Unfortunately, I was a little overzealous; the flames went through the bars, just past Nicole's head, through the bars on the other side, and onto the shack wall, causing it to catch fire.

Ironically, as the building fire raged, the trapper happened to walk out of the woods. "What the hell?" he shouted, noticing the fire first, then Nicole and me. "Hey! You're stealing my prize!" He aimed a shotgun at me, but thankfully missed wide. Suddenly, I noticed a blue outline around his body, which just went rigid. I turned to find Nicole's eyes and jewel shining, as she used Psychic on him to hold him still. That caught me off guard; she rarely used her powers openly.

The man hung in the air for a moment, the shotgun dropping from his limp hand, then his eyes rolled into his head and he collapsed. "_What did you do to him?_" I asked Nicole. "_I merely knocked him unconscious, and removed his memory of us. When he recovers, he will think his house burned down from a chimney fire._" She turned to the shack. "_First, we should try and control the fire, so the forest isn't harmed._" She called to Teddy and Eve telepathically, and we all worked hard to keep the trees from burning. Then, we left before the man woke up.

After leaving the kits to return to their dens, I walked back with Nicole. However, I noticed that she seemed to hold herself differently, and walked with a poise I've never seen before. "_Honey, are you all right? You seem… different, somehow,_" I asked her. She stopped and looked at me weirdly. "_What do you mean, Ta-Ni? I don't feel any different. If anything, I feel better than before._" I paused in shock. The Nicole I knew would never say stuff like that, nor would she call me by my Pokémon name. She had changed, and not for the better.

I watched her over the next few visits. She seemed to act more animalistic than before, sort of like how I act when my instincts take over. I tried to remind her of times before she became a Pokémon, but she just looked at me with a blank look. She even seemed surprised when I changed back in front of her. I guess as a result of her time in the cage, her human mind retreated so far into her subconscious that she was acting like a normal Pokémon now!

**It is unfortunate what happened to Nicole, but this is the typical response for seeing Pokemon in the real world. I still cared for her, even though the change in personality was a little unnerving. Anyway, please read and review, and as always, may your Ember never fade.**


	6. Chapter 5

**Hey, everyone! Ta-Ni here. Here is the next chapter of my life story, and boy was it eventful! We also get another visit from our mysterious helper. Enjoy!**

What happened to Nicole really scared me. If my instincts take over enough, will I lose myself as well? I didn't even want to contemplate it; instead, I started visiting the woods less and less. I even stopped wearing the Stone as often. Eventually, I actually went two full weeks without wearing it, and that was a mistake.

As Christmas drew near, I noticed that I had less energy than I usually do. At first, I assumed it was just the cold, but it seemed different than last year. Also, the cold seemed stronger than usual; I couldn't stay warm in my apartment. Curious, I looked deep inside for my Ember, and I saw to my horror that it was quite weak; almost half the usually strength. I tried to recharge in the sun, but it wasn't working.

Dismayed, I put on the Stone and asked the spirit inside what may have happened. It stayed silent for a moment before saying, _by being separated from the essence of your Pokémon form, its life force, the Ember, has diminished. You must change back soon, before it fades completely; otherwise, you will die._ I knew then, instincts or not, I was now tied to my Ninetales form, and if it perishes, so shall I.

Thankfully, my work was closed for Christmas, and I wasn't having Christmas with my human family, so I could afford to return to the forest. I headed to Nicole's den, and asked her to let the kits know to come too. Once everyone arrived, I tried shifting to my Pokémon form. However, something went wrong; the process was quite painful, and I seemed to be shrinking more than usual.

Finally, the pain stopped, but I knew something was wrong from the get-go. One, all my fur was red instead of cream, and instead of nine, long tails, I had five short, curly tails. Two, everyone looked taller than me. And last, my Pokémon mind seemed much younger and more playful. We all looked at each other in silence, until Zona asked the question on everyone's mind: "Dad, why are you a Vulpix?"

"I don't know," I said, noticing that my voice sounded higher, like when I was young as a human. My gaze fell upon the Stone, and to my unvoiced question it said, _Your Ember had died enough that it could not sustain a Ninetales body, so you devolved into your previous form, a Vulpix. You also lost a tail, so you must regrow it before you can evolve back into a Ninetales, as well as find a fire stone._ "But it will take months to regrow a tail! Not to mention finding a fire stone in this world is nearly impossible." _I can shorten the time necessary to regrow the tail, using my own experiences. However, you must stay in Pokémon form for that time. Also, finding another stone is your job._

I noticed that everyone was looking at me in confusion, so I explained that the spirit within my stone would be able to shorten my time as a Vulpix, but I needed to stay a Pokémon and find a fire stone to evolve back. "How did you get the stones you used for us?" Eve asked me. "They were in a basket I found in the forest. I think they were a gift from someone, since there was a letter explaining them, but it was unsigned."

"You could always pray to Mother Mew," Nicole said calmly. I gave a weird look; I know that Pokémon tended to worship Mew as their version of God, but she wasn't always a Pokémon. Further proof the Nicole I knew was long gone. "Whenever I'm in trouble, I offer her a quick prayer, and she always answers." I was skeptical, but it wouldn't hurt to try. Closing my eyes, I silently thought, "_Mother Mew, please help me find a way to return to my normal form._" I swear I could hear a telepathic giggle, but nothing happened.

"Okay, I prayed. Nothing happened," I said impatiently. Nicole just shook her head. "She doesn't answer right away. She only speaks to you in dreams." I gave a huff of disbelief, then turned to the others. "Well, since I'm stuck as a Vulpix for a few days, I might as well see how you all are doing on your own."

The next few days were spent dealing with the younger Vulpix instincts, and visiting each of my kits' new den sites. They all seemed to be fairing quite well in a world not suited for their kind, which was odd. Then, on my fifth night since becoming a Vulpix, my dreams turned odd. I found myself walking through a familiar part of the forest, around where the trapper's house used to be. I came upon the ruins of the house, and in the fireplace was a glowing red stone. Then, the dream short-circuited, and I woke up.

I happened to be at Eve's den at that moment, which was close to the ruined house. I woke Eve up, and we headed to the ruins. Sure enough, just as the dream foretold, I found a single fire stone inside the fireplace. How it got there, I have no clue; evolution stones are not native to this world. Maybe whoever sent me the dream put it there. Anyway, I now have the way to evolve back, once my tail grows in.

It only took another two days before I grew the tail, and just in time, too; I was due from my 'vacation' the next day. I used the fire stone to evolve back into a glorious Ninetales, then promptly changed back to a human. However, I made a promise to return to the forest and spend a day as a Ninetales every week. In hindsight, this experience does have an unexpected consequence.

**There you have it: yet another side effect of my particular Stone. This never happened to Ash and Misty, did it? Still, getting in touch with my pre-evolution was very rewarding, and shaped future events to come. Also, I want to thank the few people who have favorited this story, and the one who reviewed. Please, keep them coming!**

**Read, Review, and may your Ember never fade.**


	7. Intermission

**Hey, everybody! Ta-Ni here. Since I will be AFK for my regular upload, I'm giving you a little intermission chapter today!**

I paused for a moment. _Thinking back, these two events started my initial change,_ I thought. _Being a Vulpix truly awoke the Pokémon side of me, and Nicole's change made me aware of how strong the Pokémon side could become. Without these events, I may not have become what I am today._ I could feel my tails twitch at the thought. Even ten years later, I still cannot get used to the nine long appendages that hang behind me. That, by far, was the weirdest part of being half-Ninetales; humans don't have tails, especially super-sensitive ones. Unfortunately, because humans don't have tails, I can no longer pass for a human. _Being inhuman will cause so much trouble for the future_, I thought. _Just as it had for the past…_

**A little foreshadowing, as well as inner monologue about my current state. Just giving you something to think about until next time. Remember, read, review, and May your Ember never fade!**


	8. Chapter 6

**Hey, everybody! Ta-Ni here, and I'm back from my trip! Hope you guys didn't miss me last week, but here's the next chapter of my life story. This is the second time I reveal myself to another human, and something I did before, will come back to haunt me...**

It turned out that our little 'incident' with the trapper had not gone completely unnoticed, even though Nicole claimed she erased his memories of us. Or maybe someone happened to see me return to the ruins for the fire stone. Either way, someone happened to find out about our secret family, and desired to 'study' us.

While I was at work, I was holding a silent telepathic conversation with Nicole when we were both interrupted by a sharp, mental scream. The cry lingered for a few moments, threatening to split my head open, and then it cut off as sharply as it started. "_Who was that?"_ I asked Nicole. "_I think it was Clare. She must be in trouble._"

As soon as she mentioned Clare's name, I swear my heart stopped for a second. A cold wave washed over me, like I had been drenched with water, and a weight seemed to settle in my body around where my Ember resides. All of this took a few moments, but I knew something was very wrong. After work, I hurried to the forest and found Nicole, asking her to summon everyone else. Sure enough, Clare didn't show; something or someone was preventing her from coming.

I shifted to Ninetales form so I could talk to them, but something felt different. I looked behind me, and to my utter shock, my rightmost tail had turned completely gray; even the tip was a darker shade of gray! Also, I could feel my Ember flickering slightly, like a flame caught in a breeze. Curious, I asked the Stone what was happening, and it said simply, _your vow was broken._ "What vow?" _When your kits were born, you swore upon your tails to protect them from all harm. Now that Clare is in danger, that vow has been broken, and you are slowly losing the psychic power within your tails. If you don't save her before all of your tails turn gray, your Ember will be snuffed out as well._

"Great, now I have a time limit as well…" I muttered under my breath. _It's your fault for carelessly invoking a vow of that magnitude when you knew it would be difficult to enforce._ "Let's just find out where she is, so we can save her as soon as possible." Deep down, I knew the Stone was right; I should have not made such a powerful vow when I would have no reliable way to enforce it. Breaking away from my internal conversation, I asked my kits when they last saw Clare.

Unfortunately, no one knew where she was. I went to Clare's den to scout for clues, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary except for her absence. Also, I had to keep up appearances at work, which cut into searching time. My dreams were haunted by images of Clare in pain and being tortured, and every day another tail turned gray, leaving me weaker and weaker.

Finally, three days after her disappearance, we found something. By chance, I decided to search around the ruins of the trapper's shack, and found relatively recent human footprints. It seemed odd that anyone would come here, since even the trapper had abandoned it after the fire, so I followed them. They led out of the forest, so I had to shift back at the edge to avoid detection. Unfortunately, my human senses aren't as good as my Ninetales ones, and I lost the trail amidst the jumble of footprints around the forest edge. However, now I knew someone had entered the forest, and probably found out about us and captured Clare for some reason. I knew I couldn't keep the secret forever, but that didn't matter; all that matters is getting her back.

Luckily, I happened to overhear one of my coworkers talking about a friend of theirs finding a new species of 'fox'. Curious, I asked her about it, but she only said it was a rumor. However, her friend worked at a lab not far from the forest, so I resolved to check it out the next day. Staying across the street, I studied the building. Sure enough, I could feel very faint psychic energy coming from the basement, so I decided to mount a rescue that night. I couldn't bring any of the others with me, since the lab was deep in town, and I had already lost half my tails; time was running out.

As one of the night shift security guards walked by, I knocked him out and swiped his clothes and keycard. Thankfully, he was about my same size and build. Then, using a little bit of my remaining foxfire (I can channel it while human, but it takes lots of energy), I cast an illusion to look just like the guard. Posing as him, I calmly walked into the lab, and started making my way toward the basement. No one paid me any mind; they thought I was just a guard making my patrol.

As I noticed the psychic energy getting stronger, I found myself in a dead end hallway. I knew I was close, but nothing seemed to be out of place; there were a few crates, but they were empty. Then, I heard footsteps echoing down the hall, and I quickly hid in one of the crates, shifting my illusion to completely hide myself. Through the slats of wood, I saw someone walk up to the back wall and pull out his keycard. Suddenly, an invisible door opened inward, revealing a laboratory beyond. I couldn't see what was inside, but the psychic signature was quite strong, and felt like Clare's, so I knew I found her.

As the door closed, I decided to shift to Ninetales form and bound through. Thankfully, my invisibility was easier to hold as a Ninetales; still, the door almost caught the tip of one of my gray tails as it slammed shut. I dove for a shadowed corner behind a desk as the lights came on, dropping my invisibility and reverting to human form. Peaking over the top of the desk, I saw lots of equipment: microscopes, centrifuges, and other machines I couldn't identify. Against the far wall were a number of cages, and in one of them lay a very familiar, pale-green fox Pokémon, as well as various other forest animals.

One thing I noticed was all of the animals had bruises under their fur, probably from mishandling or blood drawing, as well as other minor injuries. Also, they stared at the scientist with evident fear in their eyes. Even Clare sported these wounds, even though as a Pokémon, she has much faster healing and recovery than normal animals. Either she was experimented on more recently or more often.

The scientist stepped toward the cages, stopping in front of Clare's and saying, "You know, we still don't know what you are. You're obviously canine, but your coloring and body mass don't match anything we know about! Before I announce you as a brand new species, we must make absolutely sure you're the only one. Ready for more tests?" There was obvious joy in his voice, though I couldn't see his face.

Looking at Clare's dejected and fearful state, as well as the clear enjoyment of the scientist, my blood began to boil as my Ember flared wildly in anger. I couldn't take anymore, so I leapt from my hiding place and shouted, "Step away from her!" The man whirled at my voice, exclaiming, "How did you get in here? Only I have clearance to enter this room!"

"That doesn't matter. What are you going to do with that Espeon?!" I demanded. He looked at me incredulously. "What's an Espeon? Are you talking about from that kid's show? You look a little old to believe in 'Pok-e-man'. They don't exist." He chuckled, which only increased my anger more. True, I didn't believe in them before I found my Destiny Stone, but at least I was more open-minded. A small growl rumbled in my throat, but it was too quiet for him to hear.

"Anyway, you're not supposed to be back here. This is my private research lab; only a couple of assistants and I are allowed in here. Get out before I call security!" He didn't seem to notice I was wearing a security uniform, but I didn't bother pointing it out. He turned his back to me, eying Clare with glee at the idea of more testing. No animal deserves treatment like this, all for the sake of his 'science'. My vision slowly turned red, and the growl grew louder. The sound brought him out of his revelry, and he turned to face me again. "Are you still here? You're beginning to try my patience."

Those arrogant words were the last straw; I snapped in anger. "You shall not harm my daughter anymore!" I shouted, as I shifted into a Ninetales right in front of him. He stepped back in shock, his foot rattling against Clare's cage. Before he could run, my eyes flashed red with a Glare attack, freezing him in place. I could feel wisps of bluish-purple foxfire dancing around my body and all nine of my tails, even the gray ones. "**_If you like your tests so much, let's see how well you fare as one of its subjects!_**" The foxfire concentrated on the tips of my tails, turned into large fox heads of fire, and leaped upon the scientist. I watched as he screamed bloody murder, his body being consumed until all that was left was an unconscious Rattata.

As the foxfire died down, the angry light left my eyes, and I teetered on my feet, fighting unconsciousness; using the Curse without all nine tails almost killed me. Locking my eyes on Clare, who watched the entire thing, I managed to recover enough to stop the room from spinning. "Clare, are you okay?" I asked hoarsely. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak with the scientist still in the room. "Don't worry, he's out cold. Also, he may have trouble causing mischief for a while." I nodded to the Rattata on the ground between us. "Now, let's get you and the other animals out of those cages."

I carefully padded over to her cage and picked the lock with one of my claws. Once out of the restricting power of iron, she teleported some berries from the forest so I could recover my strength (even injured and starved, she was always a better psychic than her mother). She then levitated the keys from the transformed scientist's pocket (his clothes fell off when he changed, unlike with my changes), handing them to me. Of course, I had to change back in order to use them, which drained what little energy I have recovered.

Once the cages were empty, I put the unconscious Rattata in one of them, locking it on him. I muttered to him in a cold voice, "You shall now be forced to endure the same torture you put Clare and the others through, but in order to protect our identity, I shall remove all memory of our forest from your mind. If you do escape, and I find you in our woods, you will be hunted like the prey you are. May this lesson stay with you for the next thousand years." Then, Clare modified his memory as I explained, and we all left the lab.

Fortunately, we ran into nobody on the way out, and we made it back to the forest safely. The other animals dispersed into the woods as well, and I prayed they find new homes in safety. At my den, I turned back into a Ninetales and looked forlornly at my five gray tails. I asked the Stone, "Clare is now free and safe, but my power hasn't returned. Why not?" It calmly replied, _Now that the threat has been removed, you will recover in time, and twice as fast as you lost it. However, the middlemost tail tip will forever remain gray, as a reminder of the vow you made and the consequences of breaking it._ I figured it was a fitting punishment for my mistake. I offered to walk with Clare back to her den, and she accepted.

Once Clare was home, I left the forest to wait for my power and tails to return to normal. However, at the edge, before I changed back into a human, I quickly prayed to Mother Mew for a way to protect our home from any other intruders. Once again, I may have heard a telepathic giggle, followed by nothing. I had no clue my prayer was received, so I resolved to keep up my routine journeys.

At work the next day, I overheard from the same coworker as before, that her friend had disappeared on the verge of a new discovery, but his assistants found a rare purple rat in his lab in the morning, and will begin tests on it. It seemed my declaration was coming true; no one would know that the purple rat was the old scientist, and he would be forced into enduring the same tests he put others through. Still, I couldn't help wishing for slightly better treatment for him…

**If anyone is curious why there hasn't been any reports about the changed scientist, he did manage to escape the lab eventually, but he wandered into our forest, and I had warned him before... just kidding! We didn't eat him, but he now lives in a cage in my house, psychically reinforced thanks to Clare. Still, I take better care of him than he ever did to his 'test subjects', so he's not that bad off. Anyway, read and review, everyone, and may your Ember never fade!**


	9. Chapter 7

**Hey, everyone! Ta-Ni here. It's Easter, so here's the next chapter for you guys!**

Months passed, and it seemed things were starting to settle into a routine. I still spend every Sunday in the forest, exploring as a Ninetales. I check up on my kits, who have all adapted well in a world that isn't their own, and recharge my Ember in the process. However, I keep my instincts in check; I don't want a repeat of what happened with Nicole. However, unknown to me, 'they' had other plans.

One morning, I woke to find the Stone around my neck, which wasn't odd since I sometimes sleep with it on. What was odd was the large Ninetales sitting at the foot of my bed, watching me get up. At first, I thought I was seeing things, but then I noticed it had blue eyes and the tip of its middle tail was gray, just like mine was. "Um, who are you, and why do you look like I do as a Pokémon?" I asked it.

It snorted, with a puff of smoke, and replied in telepathy, "_You haven't noticed? I'm you, or rather I'm your Pokémon instincts given physical form. All I ever see is the forest, so I asked the spirit of the Stone to grant me a temporary form here. Don't worry, once I get my fill of the rest of your world, we can rejoin by touching our stones together, but until we do, you cannot remove it._"

I shook my head, trying to comprehend everything he just told me, as he hopped off the bed and looked around my room. "_So, this is where you live? Seems… simple._" "Well, this is a typical human home. There's not much for a Ninetales to do around here, so that's why I don't take Pokémon form here." "_Whatever, where can I go hunt? I'm starving._" I facepalm; he really is like me.

"Well, I can't really let you out of the house, since someone will see you and call the cops." He shook his head. "_No they won't; I'm protected by the same illusion you use all the time when walking in Hybrid form. I can follow you invisibly, and as long as no one bumps into me, it will be as if I was never there._" "Okay, well I'm on my way to work, and there's a park nearby, so I guess you can stay there while I'm at work." He tilted his head in confusion. "_Wait, you work?_"

I chuckle. "What do you think I do all day when I'm not in the forest? Of course I work; I actually work at a bakery, washing dishes." He cringed at the mere mention of being around water; fire-types tend to be hurt by any source of water, and since he's connected to me, that vulnerability has transferred to me. "Don't worry, I've de-sensitized my hands so I no longer feel pain from the water. Also, I think the working conditions would be too close for you to join me; someone will either bump into you or step on a tail."

"_You know, maybe the park will be fine,_" he said with chagrin. "Just be careful of dogs; you may be invisible to their sight, but not from their noses." He shook his head in disgust. "_This place has a lot of enemies for those of our kind, don't they?_" We share a laugh, then I continue getting ready for work. Meanwhile, he walked around my apartment, sniffing various things and trying to figure out what they are.

"By the way, what should I call you?" I ask as I munch on some toast for breakfast. "I can't really call you by my name, since we would get confused." "_Since I'm your Pokémon side, I guess you could call me Ninetales; I don't really have a name,_" he replied. I thought for a moment, then shook my head. "No, you should have a proper name, not just our species one. How about… Niles? It's sort of a shortened version of Ninetales, and we can still keep the combined name Ta-Ni." He looked at me with a little confusion, but then smiled and nodded. Finishing my breakfast, we walked out of my apartment, with me holding the doors open for Niles without attracting suspicion. Along the way, I quietly taught him about street safety and other differences in the city.

At the park, we parted ways, but all through work, I wondered what mischief or trouble he could be getting into. I practically ran back to the park once finished with work, only to find him lounging in the sun, soaking the sun's heat into his fur. I sighed in relief, which he detected and woke up. "_So, how was work?_" he asked me lazily. "Not too bad, given I was worried about someone discovering you the whole time. I kept thinking of the police locking you up and hauling you off to the pound, or worse, a lab."

"_Don't worry, I was quite careful. By the way, the only dogs I saw were much too small to be a threat. Why were you warning me about them?_" At that moment, a very large dog walked by, looking quite pointedly at us, but its owner didn't notice and just pulled the dog along. "_Oh, that's what you meant…_" Niles muttered, and if this was an anime, you would see a sweatdrop on his forehead. I chuckled, which made him bristle slightly. "Anyway, let's head home. Did you get enough hunting?"

He nodded. "_The few squirrels around here weren't fast enough for me, though they managed to evade the local dogs._" "I hope you didn't use your fire, though." He gave me a look that said, _do you think I'm stupid?_ "_Of course not. I only used physical attacks; primarily Quick Attack. You worry too much; I can make proper decisions myself._" "Whatever. Anyway, let's go back to the apartment." I could feel his annoyed look boring into my back as we walked back, but he got over it by the time we returned to my apartment.

I took time to pour some water for Niles, which he lapped up carefully. Meanwhile, we talked about what other things differ in each other's lives. Niles slept in the living room, on the couch, since my bed wasn't big enough for both of us. Over the next few days, I would take him on walks around the neighborhood, letting him learn a bit more of the world outside the forest. Just before our weekly visit, the two of us reunited as he explained before. However, I purposely stepped back a little more that day, and resolved to do so every day; I felt bad I was suppressing such a lively personality. From that point on, we became two souls in one body, and I was okay with that.

**And thus Niles was 'born', after a fashion. Yes, he's still around; there are times I wish he wasn't sticking his muzzle in my business, but we get along fairly well. As you can tell, our Stone wasn't a typical Destiny Stone; in fact, I wonder if it was even a Destiny Stone at all. Anyway, enjoy your Easter Sunday, and please read and review!**

**And, as always, may your Ember never fade!**


	10. Chapter 8

**Hey, everybody! Ta-Ni here, bringing you the next chapter of my life story. Today, we'll touch on a couple of special events that will have an impact on the future, both in this story and in later ones. Enjoy!**

One day, a few months later, I was feeling a little down. You see, tomorrow was my birthday, but my human family lived far away and couldn't come to see me this year. My boss had given me the day off, but my friends couldn't join me for a party, so I was all alone (well, except for Niles of course). I was so distracted, I didn't notice Nicole peeking into my mind, since she sensed my depression from afar. A plan began forming in her head, so she withdrew and prepared for my surprise.

The next day, she summoned me to the forest, being very secretive in her reasons. Worried, I hurried over to Nicole's den, only to find everyone gathered in a circle. "Happy Birthday, Ta-Ni!" they announced, backing away to reveal a wrapped box in their midst. I stepped forward, a little embarrassed; thankfully my fur hid the blush in my cheeks. "You didn't have to do this, everyone. In the grand scheme of things, another year is nothing to a Ninetales. Remember, we live up the age of one thousand years."

"We know, Dad," Clare replied. "Still, I could tell you were feeling down about this one, so I thought we could cheer you up at least." I nuzzled her in appreciation, then turned to the box. "So, what's in the box?" I asked. Eve giggled. "You have to open it, silly. We're not going to tell you." I slid a claw under the ribbon and broke it, pulling the lid off with my teeth. Inside was a cloth wrapped in a tight bundle, but the color was muted by all the dirt and dust upon it.

"Axel found this cloth lying in his territory, and took to wearing it everywhere; that's why it's so dirty," Clare explained. "Still, it seemed to possess inner warmth, so we thought it could at least keep you warm at night." I chuckled; I guess I couldn't hide the fact that the winter months are torture for my Ember. Curious, I picked up the cloth bundle and walked over to a nearby stream; I wanted to see what it would look like clean.

As the dirt and dust washed away, I was entranced by the vibrant color revealed. It was primarily orange in hue, but with red and yellow shifting within it. The colors danced along its surface, as if a flame was somehow woven into the very fabric itself. My jaw dropped as I realized what it really was, and tears glistened in my eyes. Axel noticed and asked, "Dad, what's wrong? Is it not what you wanted?"

I shook my head, wiping my eyes with a paw. "No, it's beautiful. In fact, I'm a little surprised to see something this rare here." Axel tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean? It's just a piece of cloth, isn't it?" I stared at him and the others in disbelief, then remembered they weren't as knowledgeable about the Pokémon world as I. "This is more than just a piece of cloth; it's a rare item called an Afire Collar. If it is worn around the neck of a Vulpix or Ninetales, it renders all water-type attacks directed against them useless; in fact, the Pokémon will HEAL instead of being damaged."

"Really?" Zona gasped. "Does it only work for Vulpix and Ninetales?" I nodded, replying, "Only for us. It is said that the cloth itself contains fur from our species, which bars any other Pokémon from using its ability; it is quite literally tied to our species. However, such an artifact is extremely rare, even in the Pokémon world; for it to appear in our world is nothing short of a miracle. I think I'll treasure this gift far beyond its worth." I saw a look of disappointment cross Zona's muzzle for a moment; I think he wanted it for himself.

I shifted my front paws into hands so I could tie it around my neck, and it did indeed give off a little warmth into my fur. Then, Teddy decided to test my claim, as a torrent of water came down upon me without warning. Sure enough, the water itself dealt no pain, and in fact I felt invigorated by it, meaning I was healing from the water. However, after the attack ceased, my fur was still wet and heavy, weighing me down quite a lot. "A little help, please?" I asked as I fell to my knees. Axel and Zona chuckled as they used their fire to get me dry. I, in turn, used my own fire on them so my Ember didn't get inflamed, as well as replenishing their stores.

We spent the rest of the day celebrating, enjoying each other's company and catching up on how everyone was doing. I left Niles in control more, since he was more comfortable around the family than I was. Watching him intermingle with them reminded me of my adviser, the Spirit of the Stone. Surely he had a family before he became a spirit, and yet I had no clue what his life was like.

Curiosity finally overcame my hesitance, so one night, while Niles was 'asleep', I called to the Spirit and asked, "What was your life like before you became a spirit?" The voice hesitated, then asked, _Why do you want to know?_ "You told me when I had been a Vulpix that you used your experiences to speed up my maturation, so you must have had a life before we met. I want to know more about you."

_My tale is quite long and a little tragic, but if you wish to listen, I can tell you._ After a pause, he began. _I was born as the middle kit in a litter of five, with a pair of loving parents taking care of me. However, I was a little rebellious in my youth, and as such was quite a handful for my parents. I loved to explore, wandering our territory and fighting most of the local Pokémon to hone my skills. Then, when I was about twenty years old, I stumbled upon a fire stone lying in the middle of a clearing. Even in my curiosity, I was wary, since most stones are often found in caves only, not in the open._

_Still, I was eager to evolve, since I had already grown my sixth tail, so I stepped forward and placed my paw upon the stone. As the light of evolution engulfed me, I could feel power surging through me. However, as the light faded, I noted that the stone hadn't crumbled like it should have. Suddenly, a wave of lightheadedness overcame me, and I passed out instantly. While I was unconscious, I heard a voice telling me that I had been chosen for a great task; that I would be granted great knowledge that I would pass on to another once my time on this earth was over. I expected that I would live out my days as a normal Ninetales, but fate had other plans._

_Shortly after I awoke, I found that the stone I used to evolve had changed, and a leather strap was now threaded through it. I placed the stone around my neck, vowing to never remove it, and I headed back to my parents' den. They seemed baffled by my revelation, but since I was now evolved, I could no longer stay with them. I went in search for my own territory, but after another thirty years of searching, I hadn't found anything that suited me. Then, I ran into a trainer, who managed to beat and capture me._

I flinched on reflex, and he elaborated, _Mind you, I don't mind being trained, and it's not that bad for a Pokémon like me. I enjoyed my time with my trainer; we even fought a couple of gym leaders in my travels. He wasn't on a journey; he was just traveling for fun. However, I respected him as both a trainer and a friend, and I feel we really bonded well._ His voice had a hint of sadness to it. _Unfortunately, our relationship was not to last._

"You outlived him?" I reasoned. He sighed. _No, I was taken from him. We were traveling through Kanto, about 40 years after he caught me, when a cloaked figure challenged my master to a battle. However, when he pulled my Pokéball from his belt, the figure swiped it and ran. I, of course, was aware of what was happening, even from within my ball. I could hear him calling after me, but I could not break out of the ball without him releasing me._

"Do you know who took you?" I asked. He gave a mental shrug. _What other group of individuals would openly steal Pokémon from trainers? When I was released from my ball, I found myself in a Team Rocket base, with their leader looking at me with a critical eye. His gaze fell on the stone around my neck, and attempted to take it. I, of course, growled and fought against him and my handlers, forcing him to retreat or lose his fingers. "Maybe a few days of confinement with no food will make you more… compliant," he said coolly, and I was dragged off to the cages._

_Over the next sixty or so years, I was tormented, experimented with, and manipulated, as they tried to force me into obedience. However, I refused to let them break me, confident that my fate would protect me in the end. I allowed no one to take the stone from my neck, even biting hands who tried to reach for it. A couple of foolish grunts had grabbed my tails once, and I cursed them with bad luck for a thousand years; I didn't want to give Team Rocket access to Cursed Ones._

_Finally, they had enough of me. I was returned to my ball and carried out into the wilderness. They found a deep lake not far from the base, configured my ball to release automatically, and cast it into the lake._ Given my new fear of water, I couldn't stop the shudder that rippled down my spine. He seemed to empathize. _Needless to say, when I appeared from my ball, I was already at the bottom of the lake, and even if I wasn't a fire type, there was no way I could have swum to the surface before running out of air. As it was, I couldn't even move because of the pain._

_However, as my vision began to fade in death, I felt something pulling me deep within myself, and the stone around my neck glowed with a fierce light. The voice from earlier returned, revealing itself to be Mother Mew, and she explained that the stone I wore will become a Destiny Stone for someone who would be ill prepared to embrace his life as a Pokémon. After that, I fell into a deep sleep, and only awoke when you touched the stone, thus binding it to you. Needless to say, she was right; it took you a while to accept your Pokémon side._

The spirit fell silent as I pondered his story. "Wait, when you died, you were at the bottom of a lake in the Pokémon world. How did the stone transcend dimension and find its way into my hands?" _I have no idea,_ he replied. _Maybe it truly was destiny that the stone would come to you._ "Do you know how long you were asleep?" I asked him, but he mentally shook his head. _I don't know how long I was asleep, and I doubt time moves the same as in the Pokémon world._ I thanked him for his story, but before he returned to sleep, I asked, "Do you have a name? It feels wrong to simply call you Spirit after this." He paused before saying, _I have forgotten my birth name because of my capture, and both my master and Team Rocket only called me by my species name._ "Then, I'll call you Flame, if you like." He smiled before leaving my mind.

**And there you have it. I got the idea of the Afire Collar from Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games, so credit goes to them. However, Flame's story was quite sad to hear AND write. Who knew that Team Rocket could be so cruel. Anyway, I'll see you guys next week, and remember, read and review please!**

**And, as always, may your Ember never fade!**


	11. Chapter 9

**Hey, everyone! Ta-Ni here. I'm bringing the next chapter a little later in the day, because I'm dealing with real life. Also, posting this series of events was difficult, because of the sad memories it invokes. Anyway, enjoy!**

Between Niles and Flame, I felt really comfortable about who and what I am, and everyone is coping very well in the forest. We haven't had any incidents of humans stumbling across us, so I feel my secret is safe for now. Things were looking good, but alas nothing in my life can be that simple. It started out as a normal day recharging my Ember, when a mental scream shot through my head, jolting me awake from my afternoon nap. I immediately identified the scream as Nicole's, so I headed in her general direction.

What I found almost made my heart stop. Nicole was lying on her side, her white fur stained crimson from a small hole in her side, the wound spurting blood at an alarming rate. "Honey, what happened?" I exclaimed. She gave me a weak smile, saying, "I guess I was a little careless. I wandered near the BB shooting range at that scout camp, of course staying well out of sight, when a stray BB struck me right in the side. It hit me right in the heart, and the iron within the BB is preventing me from healing. I fear this is the end for me."

"Don't say that," I stuttered. My mind was frantic, searching for any way I could save her. Taking her to the vet was out of the question, because of our secret, and I had no moves to help heal her either. I mentally called everyone together, but by the time we all assembled, Nicole's breathing was already becoming shallow and ragged. Clare tried to heal her with her psychic powers, but again, the iron BB interfered. All Eve could do was help with the pain, since she only had Aromatherapy. All in all, we watched as the light left Nicole's eyes, and once she was gone, we carried her body back to her den and buried her outside.

Surprisingly, her death hit me much harder than most, even over a couple of deaths in my human family. I think part of this is because of Niles's influence within me; he really seemed to grieve Nicole the most, and as such it remained ever present in my mind. I was very despondent at work, which a couple of co-workers asked about, but I couldn't tell them the truth. At home, I still had little energy, so I was just lying around doing nothing.

Then a couple of weeks later, I was lounging in guilt, in Pokémon form, during my weekly recharge, when a mental voice invaded my dreams. "_It appears you have dealt with a great loss recently, one brought about by my gift to you. I offer my apologies._" I looked around, but couldn't find where the voice was coming from. "Who are you, and what do you mean 'your gift'?" I asked.

The voice giggled, and I felt it seemed familiar. "_Why, the Stone of course. As for who I am, I am surprised you don't know who I am by now, after all I've done for you._" A transparent bubble materialized in front of me, with a familiar pink cat Pokémon inside of it. "Mew! I mean, Mother Mew," I exclaimed, jumping to my feet then bowing with respect. She just waved a paw in dismissal. "_There's no need to be formal. However, I can tell you are still down about your late mate. Tell you what… I don't do this often, but I can do you a favor, if you wish._"

I lifted my head in anticipation. "Can you bring back Nicole?" I asked fervently. However, Flame interjected by saying, _You cannot bring a Cursed One back to life if they die before their thousand-year sentence is up; they will drift as a spirit until then, before either moving on or being reborn._ "_She's right, though,_" Mew agreed. "_However, there is another female you can bring back._" I tilted my head in confusion, asking, "Wait… Flame is a female? She sounds like a male in my head."

They both chuckled before Mew answered, "_Flame was a female Ninetales in her previous life, but because you assumed her to be male, she sounds male to you. Probably since her previous body conformed to your gender rather than hers, I think._" Flame mentally nodded, so I accepted it as fact. Then, what Mew said before dawned on me, and I willed Flame to sleep so I could speak with Mew alone. "Are you saying I can give Flame a new life?" I asked.

Mew nodded. "_I think she has done plenty for you in your time as a Pokémon, and there's little left she could teach you. Also, she had barely lived, in terms of Ninetales; she was only 250 years old when she drowned. I believe she deserves a second chance._" I thought about it for a while, then nodded. "I think you're right. Will she retain her memories, or should she have a clean slate?" "_It's up to you. However, given what she went through, would she want to remember?_"

I shuddered at the memory of her story, and shook my head. "Clean slate, then. Very well, I wish for Flame to have a second chance at life." Mew smiled and concentrated, and then my Stone began to glow. The glow brightened and separated from the stone, before forming into a Pokémon egg in front of me. The egg looked like a normal Vulpix egg, but I could still sense her spirit inside, sleeping peacefully and innocently. Mew smiled, then vanished, but her voice remained to say, "_As for your wish for protection, I am still working on it; I'll contact you when I'm ready._"

I called telepathically to Zona, since a Pokémon egg needs constant care which I couldn't provide. He seemed surprised and confused at what it was, since he and his siblings were born alive, but took care carrying it in his tails back to his den. My only requests were to call the newborn Vulpix Flame, since that was the name I gave the spirit, and to not mention my relationship to her. I had this feeling that something special could develop between us, and I didn't want family ties to get in the way.

**And there you have it. One life is lost, but another is reborn. I was right about that 'something special' occurring, but I'll get back to that later. Nicole's death still hurts, even to this day, but she does visit me in my dreams as a spirit, watching over our kits even now.**

**Anyway, please read and review, and I'll see you next week. And, as always, may your Ember never fade!**


	12. Chapter 10

**Hey, everybody! Ta-Ni here. Last time, we learned of Flame's rebirth, and now we will learn of how that will develop.**

Seasons passed, and the little Vulpix named Flame grew quickly under Zona's supervision, while I watched from the shadows. She seemed to recall nothing of her former life, which was a blessing in disguise. However, her old nature shone through, and I felt drawn toward her in a similar way I was drawn to Nicole after she was Cursed. However, until she evolved, she would be unsuited to mating, which helped keep me in check every mating season (still difficult to control the instincts, even to this day).

However, Mother Mew had other plans. About two years after Flame hatched, she showed up yet again, presenting me with a fire stone and saying, "_Why don't you give this to Flame? She's mature enough to evolve, but without a stone…_" I took the stone, but hesitated. "Are you sure NOW is a good time? After all, mating season just started; I can already feel my instincts trying to flare up again. Being around a newly-evolved Ninetales won't help me or her."

"_Fine, do what you want. However, you know what happens when you try to outrun destiny._" She disappeared, leaving me baffled. _Is she trying to set us up as mates?_ I thought. The idea was definitely appealing, but the loss of Nicole was still too fresh; I wasn't ready to move on. I waited until the season was over before presenting the fire stone to her. She accepted it quite readily, even though she didn't know me, and evolved into a beautiful Ninetales. Her beauty caught me off guard, and I found myself wanting to spend more time in the forest to be around her.

We talked and got to know each other, which felt a little awkward for me since I knew her past and she didn't. She seemed a little shy at the fact that I was also human, but she didn't run from me. Over time, the wounds in my heart from Nicole's death healed over, and we fell in love with each other. I returned to the forest quite often, and even when I was among people, I kept wearing my Stone to serve as a reminder of her. However, Destiny had to throw me another wicked curve.

One cold winter, just after Christmas, I was walking to a friend's place, using the Stone to give myself my Ninetales fur to stave off the chill. I do this quite often, so after changing I paid it no mind. I enjoyed my time with my friend, but on the way home, I happened to notice that I was feeling colder. _What happened to my fur?_ I thought, looking down at my chest. Sure enough, the fur had disappeared… and so had the Stone! The chain holding the Stone had been a little loose lately, and it must have come undone without me knowing. I panicked, and started backtracking, searching the ground for any trace of my Stone, but it was getting dark and the shadows masked it from my sight. I even went back to my place for a flashlight, but it was gone. Lost forever.

I was utterly devastated by its loss. Without it, I can never take Ninetales form, and thus I cannot recharge my Ember anymore. If my Ember fades, I could die, or at the very least Niles will die. I'm not sure if his death will result in my own, but I don't care to find out. Also, my courting of Flame will end, since a Pokémon and a human cannot and should not mate. I 'woke' Niles up and told him what happened, and together we began to despair at how we could delay the inevitable.

However, Niles was much more driven for survival. A couple of days later, I woke to find my arm had somehow grown fur while I slept. When I asked him how it happened, he explained that he tried to see if we had truly lost our ability to shift. Turns out we had not, to my surprise. Somehow, because I had worn the Stone so much, bonding with my Pokémon form so well, its DNA had bonded with my own, and so with a lot of effort I could shift into it without the Stone! However, it takes a lot of energy, more than either of us have alone, so we need to work together to make this work.

We quickly learned that there were two main skills necessary to my Pokémon form: the change itself and how long we could hold it. I was particularly good at the change itself, while Niles excelled at holding the changes. Over time and with practice, we both managed to improve our skills, making it easier to change and maintain it. Thankfully, it doesn't take much time to recharge our Ember, so we really didn't need much time at the moment. However, in order to be a proper mate to Flame, I needed more time.

I worked with Niles to keep practicing, lengthening our time in Pokémon form. This, however, had some unintended side-effects. One day, after wiping out again from shifting, I woke to find that my left arm was still furry. I could shift the fur away, but as soon as I broke my concentration it came back. As the days passed and we kept practicing, more and more of my body turned furry, and I realized I was slowly becoming a hybrid Ninetales!

Nature dictates that if something is repeatedly forced into another form, it will strike a balance between the two forms. Since I was essentially forcing my body into Pokémon form, and away from my human form, Nature was trying to reach a balance between the two. The changes started slowly, but rapidly sped up as we shifted more, and I began to worry that I would be more Pokémon than human in the end. After the fur came each individual tail, so I started shifting back to human instead of Pokémon. Niles seemed a little confused, so I explained that maybe by balancing our shifting, we could slow down the hybridization until we reached about halfway.

Sure enough, right about at eight hours of shift time, I grew pointed ears instead of round human ones, and then the changes stopped. I was exactly halfway between human and Pokémon, with a full golden pelt of fur, pointed fox ears, and nine luxurious tails. Even the tip of my middle tail was gray, just like my Pokémon form. Thankfully, I could still walk and talk like a human so I could still pose as a human for a while. All I needed to do is cover my Ninetales parts with an illusion, and no one will be the wiser.

**And thus my current form came to be. My Pokemon form is now intertwined with my own, making it even more important I keep my Ember lit. I wonder how this will impact the future?**

**Anyway, please review. I appreciate all the views, but responses are much more appreciated. And, as always, may your Ember never fade.**


	13. Chapter 11

**Hey, everybody! Ta-Ni here. This is the final main chapter of my life story, but I will be posting an Epilogue at the end, to wrap everything up. I hope you enjoy!**

As it turned out, 'staying human' was a LOT harder than I thought. Even though I could hide all my inhuman parts with a simple illusion, as well as hiding my true age, they still exist and can be felt by others. That's especially true for my tails, which I found a trial in of itself to keep out of trouble. Work was especially hard, because of the close quarters, not to mention rapidly-swinging doors. I cannot count how many times I clipped or caught the tip of a tail in a door by accident, and had to stifle a shriek of pain in order to not alert my coworkers.

Also, being half animal meant that the more animalistic instincts were closer to the surface, so I had to watch myself from growling at little things or bristling whenever anyone walked behind me. Niles tries to help me with it, but he tends to sleep more during the day, so I'm on my own. I even tried shifting back to human while I worked, but in order to maintain the balance between my forms, that forced Niles to always change me into a Pokémon every night.

Finally, I realized that being a hybrid in a human world was becoming too troublesome; I need to find a way to either reveal myself to the world or disappear completely. Asking a couple of my friends quite innocently, I learned that revealing myself, in any way, would probably result in being hunted down as a danger to the public or as an object of desire for hunters and scientists. Not only that, but everyone else who lives with me would also be in danger. So, the only option I had left is to disappear completely, and to do that, I had to fake my death. Afterward, I could hide out in the abandoned shack in our forest and live in isolation for the rest of my life.

I decided to consult my family beforehand, so I stopped by the forest during my recharge day; after all, any choice I made would affect them as well. To my surprise, a certain legendary cat was also waiting for me. Mother Mew was waiting at Flame's and my den, along with another pink creature. "_Ta-Ni,_" she announced when I arrived, "_I asked my friend Celebi if she could serve as your Guardian here in these woods. After all, she is known as the Voice of the Forest, so she could shelter you and your family from prying eyes._" She motioned to the shiny Celebi, who introduced herself as Cherie.

"That's great, because I'm thinking I need to disappear from the human world for a while, and need someplace to stay. There's just too much stress acting human, but too much risk to reveal myself. I may try to come out in the future, but for now I need to disappear." She seemed to frown for a moment, but quickly cheered up again. "_Very well, then I guess I had perfect timing. Just let me know where you want to stay, and I'll get to work on some 'arrangements'._" I didn't know what she meant, but I told her I would fix up the abandoned shack we burnt down, and live there. She nodded, then disappeared.

Meanwhile, the next day, I made arrangements for my 'death'. I spread word I was leaving on a hiking trip up to the mountains nearby, emphasizing that I would be away a little longer than I used to. My coworkers weren't too worried, since I've been disappearing often enough as it was, but it took a little convincing to persuade my parents I would be all right. Over the week, I transferred some of my stuff to the abandoned shack, which wasn't too hard to fix with everyone's help, trying to be discrete enough as to not raise suspicion. I also gathered supplies for a typical two-day hike, pretending that I was well prepared for everything.

Finally, the next weekend, I went out on my hike, again following the typical trails so as to remain fairly visible. However, the day I was supposed to return, I abandoned my campsite and vanished into the trees, using illusion to hide myself completely. Sure enough, the next day, some park rangers came to my campsite looking for clues, so I snuck up behind them and changed my illusion to resemble them. Being discrete, I subtly led them on a wild-goose chase, searching for me long enough for them to pronounce me lost and presumed dead. All the while, I walked among them without them even knowing!

As they gave up and reported my 'death,' I made my way back to my forest home, secure that I had everything I would need in the future for living on my own. To my surprise, Mother Mew had a few surprises at my new home. First, she brought a Pikachu from the Pokémon world to assist me with supplying electricity, as long as I kept the local predators away from him. Second, she somehow found some Porygon that could piggyback any nearby Wi-Fi signal so I could have free internet, as well as keep my signal untraceable. And lastly, Cherie had grown a small berry patch near my house that grew plentifully year round, surviving even our fiercest snows. However, there were Berries from the Pokémon world, and so they couldn't be eaten in great quantities because of their healing properties.

Cherie's barrier around the forest kept us out of prying human eyes, but allowed animal prey to easily pass through so we always had plenty to eat. Flame and I plan to mate this coming spring, and this time I'm confident I can protect them from any threat that may challenge them. I felt sorry for deceiving my friends and family about my whereabouts, but it's about their protection as well as my own. Thankfully because of the Pokémon Mother Mew brought me, I'm still connected to the outside world, so the isolation isn't too bad.

**I still feel bad about leaving my family and friends, but I don't know if they would believe me, let alone trust me. After all, look what happened to Nicole. At least my story will reach all of you.**

**Anyway, please review. I'll probably put the epilogue up mid-week, rather than making you wait a full week. See you then, and may your Ember never fade!**


	14. Epilogue

**Hey, everybody! Ta-Ni here. As promised, here is the final chapter of Living with an Ember. I know I'm taking a big risk posting my life story on the internet, but I feel I need to tell it to someone.**

I look up from my computer screen as I wrote the last sentence. The snow had stopped falling, but I could still feel the chill through the window pane. I pulled my blanket tighter around me, willing my Ember to flare up to ward off the cold. Flame lies curled up near me; she decided to leave her den because of the snow, but I could still see her shivering in her sleep. I grab a spare blanket and drape it over her, and the shivering subsides. Sam the Pikachu is curled up next to the electric generator, using its heat to stay warm. In fact, everyone is in my cabin, since the snow drove them out of their dens about a week ago.

I carefully step around various family members, trying not to step on any tails or paws, and stand in front of the window, staring out at the moonlit snow around us. Behind me, a grandfather clock I ordered online chimed midnight quietly. "Happy Birthday to me," I whispered to myself as I turned back inside. I smiled in comfort at seeing all of my family together, proud that even though I had isolated myself from the world, I still had those who care about me.

Walking back to my computer, I saved my journal and prepared to shut it down; I decided that I needed a new name. Since I left my old life as a normal human behind, I should create a new persona for myself to reflect my new life. Thinking carefully, I decided I would fully adopt my Pokémon name, Ta-Ni, as a fusion of my old name and that of Niles, but my last name would be Kitsune, the mythical creature that the Pokémon Ninetales was based off of. So, from this day forward, the name 'Taylor Jones' would be put to rest; I would be known to everyone as Ta-Ni Kitsune.

_My name is Taylor Jones, or at least it used to be. I can't tell you my parents' names, or where I live; though I rarely live among society anymore. You see, I possess a great secret, and if the wrong people found out, I would be hounded for the rest of my life by scientists and hunters. However, I believe someone should know, just in case I don't survive. What's my secret? Pokémon are real. In fact, a large number of them live in a forest near my home, and I serve as one of its guardians. Why do they trust me of all people? Because I am one of them, or at least half of one. Behind an illusion of a normal 30-year-old human, I am much older and quite different from the average human. My true age is 57 years old, and I have beautiful golden fur from head to toe, pointed fox ears, and nine luxurious long tails. I am a Ninetales hybrid, and my new name is Ta-Ni Kitsune._

**And there you have it. I hope you enjoyed this story, and please review; I'd appreciate the feedback. I'm not sure what I will put up next, but be on the lookout for the return of Ta-Ni Kitsune!**

**And, as always, may your Ember never fade!**


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